POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Indian bronze figure of Bhairva and Vahana.

Object No. 2003/136/5

This small bronze figure represents the Hindu God Siva in his terrifying form as Bhairava, the graveyard dweller. He is particularly worshipped by outcast groups and often depicted accompanied by a dog, Vahana. Bhairava is the name of the Southern face of Siva; he often serves as the doorkeeper of Saiva temples and is invoked in rites to destroy enemies. Siva is 'the auspicious one'. Along with Brahma (the Creator) and Vishnu (the Protector), Siva (the Destroyer) is a member of the Hindu Trinity (trimurti) and one of the principal and most popular deities of the Hindu pantheon. Siva represents death and the end of all things, as well as new life which arises from the destruction. He can be invoked by calling any one of a thousand names and has as many as 25 manifestations. Known as Rudra in the Vedas and as a mountain God in the Ramayana and Mahabharata, it is in the later Siva-Purana that he is most fully documented. The most common object of worship in Siva shrines is the phallus (or 'lingam'), a form of the god which can be traced back to the Neolithic. Worship of Siva is embodied in the Saiva cult. This figure is part of a collection of forty-one Indian bronze miniatures assembled by the donor. The figures were made in India over a period spanning eleven hundred years, and were produced for use in temples or in household shrines and by pilgrims. As an example of Hindu iconography, this image represents one of the worlds great and ancient religious traditions. Hinduism is as much a philosophy and culture as it is a religion, a rich and complex aggregate which has drawn on a collection of holy books and incorporated a wide range of influences since its origins around 4000 years ago. The multiple deities, demi-gods and heroes of the Hindu pantheon and Hindu literature reflect the syncretistic nature of Hinduism in their diverse forms and complex lineages, and are represented in a magnificent corpus of figurative sculptures, large and small. These images were intended to remind people of spiritual truths and sacred stories and to function as aids to meditation. They follow forms and dimensions that are carefully prescribed for each deity, and all parts and attributes such as the position of the body, the emblems and ornaments, and the accompanying minor divinities have significance.

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Summary

Object Statement

Figure of Bhairva and Vahana (Siva and his dog), bronze, maker unknown, South India, 1500-1600

Physical Description

Small bronze figure of Bhairava (Siva's wrathful manifestation) standing with feet slightly apart on a small, flat, plain rectangular base. Behind his legs is a dog (Vahana) wearing a collar. The figure is that of a naked male with four arms bent at the elbows; the rear two arms are held out to the side and the front pair reach forwards. All four hands clasp an attribute. The figure wears anklets, bracelets, armlets, earrings and sacred thread; his hair stands up from the head in the shape of flames.

DIMENSIONS

Height

101 mm

Width

55 mm

Depth

26 mm

PRODUCTION

Notes

The following characteristics of body position, attributes and dress are identificable forms of Indian iconography and assist with identification and dating. The naked figure holds a drum in his right rear hand and a lasso in the left; in the right front hand he holds a tusk and in the left a skull cup. The hair is in jvalakesha (fire) form. He wears a necklace, bracelets, armlets, large earrings in pendulous ears and what is possibly a sacred thread, although it falls from right to left and not left to right. A snake (?) falls from the left forearm, looping below the scrotum and up to the right wrist. Bhairava's dog Vabana stands behind him, head down, tail curled up over his back. The figure is bronze and most likely cast in the cire perdue (lost wax) method. Each piece was cast individually and in South India were always solid. Sculptors adhered to a strict code of rules, measurements and proportions

HISTORY

Notes

Small bronze figures like this, representing deities from the Hindu pantheon or the great Hindu epic poems, were made in large quantities throughout India for use in temples, in domestic shrines and by pilgrims. Part of a collection of small bronze figures put together by the donor. Most of them portray a variety of deities from India's Hindu pantheon and heroes of the Indian epic poems the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The donor purchased his first two pieces for this collection from Spink in London in 1968, and the rest from a variety of sources during the 1900s. This piece was acquired in December 1999 from Spink of London for 1,000 pounds.

SOURCE

Credit Line

Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program by Alastair Morrison, 2003

Acquisition Date

13 October 2003

Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.

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